Chewing is considered normal behavior for a puppy whose teeth are growing; the problem is when the chewing becomes a habit to an adult dog. Not only it is terrible for your furniture and your personal belongings, but it is also your dog’s way of showing you it’s suffering in some way. It’s great if you notice it from the beginning, that way you can stop destructive dog behavior before it becomes a habit.
It’s important to understand the reason behind dog chewing – that way you will resolve this problem easier.
If your dog isn’t getting enough physical activity, then it will find something else to spend that energy on, and that could probably be chewing on your furniture.
If you don’t spend enough time with your dog, then it might become jealous, and once again, your belongings will suffer. Try spending more time with it and correct its behavior with a treat in exchange for what it’s chewing. Afterward, just replace the chewed object with its toy.
Read also: Is the Problem Bad Dog Behaviors or Your Behavior That’s the Problem?
The good thing is that these techniques work on older dogs as well, so all you need is to be patient and consistent. It’s important to remember that anxiety motivates chewing and digging. Try not to pay attention to the negative things, and focus on rewarding it for good things. To discipline your dog, don’t wait too long because it needs to understand why you’re doing it.
Make sure you have someone to pay attention to your dog when you’re at work and that your home is dog-proofed. Then the training can start.
Don’t forget that dog chewing can become very dangerous, to the dog itself as well as everything around it, which is why you need to stop it early on.
